Application Process

How to apply for a Common Purpose course.

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Download the course application form

Who are we looking for?

As a leadership development organisation we are seeking applications from a broad mix of people who currently hold a leadership position and want to improve their skills. This could be a voluntary position, like a youth group, or a CEO of a company.

We can all be leaders in society and in our own communities. This doesn't mean everyone running for parliament, but looking at the community around them, the organisation they work in or the college they go to, and considering what they can do to make it better. Society thrives on active citizens and social capital. By reclaiming the word 'leader' for all of us, and not just some far-away elite, we give ourselves the opportunity to live in the type of society that we want to, not the one we happen to find ourselves in. This is not only empowering, but an exciting and challenging way to discover new talents and meet new people.

We are looking for candidates who will contribute to the breadth of experience and sector across a participant group.

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When you apply for a Common Purpose course, you need to consider, and our Advisory Groups will take into account, the following:

About you

  • Whether the course that you are applying for is right for you, because our courses are for leaders at specific stages of their careers
  • Your commitment to participate in the whole course. This is because if some people are unable to attend this diminishes the experience for other members of the participant group.

About the course

We ask everyone who comes on our courses to respect the Common Purpose Conventions. These have been developed over time and are based on our experience of running courses and on feedback from participants. They are designed to encourage open and constructive debate and discussion.

About the participant group

Our courses are designed for a mix of leaders from a wide range of backgrounds, sectors, and communities and this is essential to the learning process and its outcomes. Therefore on each course we are looking for a diverse range of applicants. This has two implications for your application:

  • We will take into account the range of applications (sectors, professions, backgrounds, communities) in order to make sure a participant group isn't dominated by people from any one organisation, sector or community.
  • You must be willing to work constructively with a diverse group of people.


The Role of the Advisory Group

Advisory Groups help our staff teams by keeping them up to date with developments in their sector and their locality by making a contribution to developing the leadership of the place they live or work.

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Local Advisory Groups are advisory only. They have no legal, financial, or managerial responsibility for Common Purpose. Nor are they representative bodies. People on our Advisory Groups do so in a voluntary and unpaid capacity which they are invited to take on in their personal, rather than professional, roles.

Advisory Groups do the following:

  • Encourage people from all backgrounds and sectors to apply to attend our leadership courses so that all the participant groups are diverse and reflect the makeup of the local area. In so doing Local Advisory Groups often assist in the review of applications.
  • Ensure Common Purpose maintains its independence and balanced course content  and contributors.
  • Ensure the content of the course is up to date with what is going on locally and nationally.
  • Ensure that the Common Purpose brand is used appropriately.
  • In those places where we run Your Turn courses, working with Year 9 students, ensure that we are working with a wide range of schools to make up a diverse group of course participants.

We value diversity and constantly strive to provide equality of opportunity as an employer and in the provision and delivery of all our activities, including our programmes, websites and awards schemes.

We positively encourage applications from all sections of the community and are working hard to ensure that our programmes and services meet the requirements of people with disabilities. We have a range of services that may be helpful.

If you require any further information, please email info@commonpurpose.org

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Course terms and conditions

These terms and conditions apply to all participants on a Common Purpose course.*

Attendance and courses

  • A place on the Common Purpose course is subject to review of the application by the Advisory Group, and is not transferable to another individual.
  • A participant on a Common Purpose course undertakes to attend the full course.
  • If a participant, having started the course, then withdraws from the course for any reason, it is not guaranteed that the participant will be allowed by Common Purpose to resume attendance.
  • If a participant misses any part of the course due to absenteeism, this may affect whether Common Purpose confers graduate status upon the participant.
  • Common Purpose retains the right to change the advertised agenda for a Common Purpose course or event without notice to the participants.
  • Common Purpose will make every effort to give participants reasonable notice in advance if the venue for an event is changed.

Conduct during the course

  • When booking and paying for a Common Purpose course or event venue, Common Purpose is acting as an agent on the participants' behalf. Participants will be subject to the terms and conditions of the venue.
  • It is the participant's responsibility to ensure that while attending the Common Purpose course and while on any third party premises he or she does not behave in an improper or disorderly manner or in a way which risks or causes damage to property, or in a way which is in breach of the terms and conditions of those premises.
  • In the event of such improper behaviour, Common Purpose will have the right to require the participant to withdraw from the course. In such circumstances, Common Purpose will be entitled to retain the course fee.
  • The participant will also be liable to indemnify Common Purpose for any expenses or other liability it incurs or suffers as a result of any such improper behaviour.
  • All participants are expected to abide by the Common Purpose Conventions.

Payment terms

  • Attendance on a Common Purpose course is conditional on receipt in full of the course fee by Common Purpose prior to the start of the course. (This condition also applies in the case of a part fee agreed for a participant who has demonstrated a clear need for financial assistance.)
  • The person who has signed the application form agrees to these terms and conditions, and has the authority to do so. In the event that he/she is not so authorised, he/she will be personally liable for payment of the agreed fee.

Cancellation and refunds

Notice of cancellation must be received in writing by post or by fax and is subject to the following terms:

  • where notice of cancellation is received fewer than 30 days prior to the first day of the course, the payer will be liable for 100% of the course fee.
  • where notice of cancellation is received between 30 and 56 days prior to the first day of the course, the payer will be liable for 50% of the course fee.
  • where notice of cancellation is received more than 56 days prior to the first day of the course, Common Purpose will make a full refund of the fee paid.

No refund of fees will be made for absence due to illness or for withdrawal during the course for any reason.

Re-registration Policy

  • It is at Common Purpose's discretion to agree with the participant the hours/days required to complete the course (e.g. attending the balance of events, or re-starting the course in its entirety)  in order to be able to achieve graduate status.
  • Participants wishing to defer their place and re-register under this policy will be required to complete a short re-registration form outlining the circumstances and context of their request.
  • The participant's re-registration form will be considered by the Advisory Group, using the application criteria.  Common Purpose cannot guarantee that an application to defer and re-register will be successful.
  • In cases where a participant wishes to defer their place before the course they have been originally accepted onto has even started, the re-registration fee policy only applies where the request is received fewer than 30 days prior to the first day of the course (hence the full fee for the original course is due in full).
  • Participants can only defer and re-register a course of the same type.  Requests to defer and re-register onto a different course may incur a high fee.
  • The 15% re-registration fee can be waived in exceptional circumstances at Common Purpose's discretion.

Data protection

Common Purpose is the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. If you have queries relating to the use of your data, please email info@commonpurpose.org.uk.

If accepted as a participant on a Common Purpose course, you are agreeing that Common Purpose may use your data for the following purposes:

  • we will use your contact details to send you information relating to the course and to request feedback.
  • we may publish your name, job title, employer organisation and course attended as part of our promotional materials.
  • we may also use your contact details to send you information about other courses and activities we offer. (You may opt out during the application process)
  • we may publish your contact details to the members of your participant group as part of the information distributed prior to the course. (You may opt out during the application process)
  • we may publish your contact details including email address to graduates of Common Purpose worldwide and to members of the Common Purpose advisory groups in the Common Purpose graduate directory. (You may opt out during the application process)

Except in connection with the activities described above or where required to do so by law, we will not disclose your data to third parties without your permission.

Common Purpose takes all reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your data.


*Please note that some courses have additional or modified terms and conditions - ensure you read or download the appropriate terms as you complete your relevant application.

Download PDF of the course terms and conditions.

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